Initiative for airport taxi drivers enters 8th year

Over 1,788 taxi drivers have benefited from the program since its inception inn 2006.

Following its completion of eight years of success, the “Qualifying taxi drivers at airports” initiative is the first of its kind practical option to promote taxi services and rehabilitation of taxi drivers across different airports of the Kingdom.

A joint initiative of the Ministry of Transport, Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the program is carried out by SCTA in collaboration with the ministry and the GACA.

Prince Sultan bin Salman, SCTA president, has stated that the program takes into account taxi drivers’ characteristics and categories and is based on an advanced vision combining simplicity and flexibility, aims at providing excellent service to tourists through promoting taxi drivers’ skills and providing them with professional abilities for dealing with the tourists.

In a report released recently on its success, the SCTA said that over 1,788 taxi drivers have benefited from the program since its inception in 2006, adding that the initiative focused on enhancing the driver’s skills in dealing with tourists at airports which included King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and at airports in Al-Ahsa, Tabuk, Hail, Qaseem, Jouf, Arar, Jazan, Dammam, Yanbu, Al-Qaryat, Taif and Madinah.

The initiative has managed to promote their skills and capabilities and organize the performance in this sector and made them aware that tourism is an important economic source besides highlighting the supportive role of SCTA in this respect as a key element in the development of tourism sector.

A number of taxi drivers who benefited from these courses have suggested that the national airports be provided with special lounges for drivers instead of having them wait at crowded airports’ outer pavements.